I have a problem, and I feel like my controlled eating is beginning to slip away from me. I was doing really well until about 2 weeks ago, my birthday, then the next week was good Friday and Easter, which are all eating / food holidays in my house. Now, I never really went far over my calorie intake in any of these three days, but I feel like my eating habits are beginning to slip, and I find myself nibbling on and sampling things I shouldn't have, in very small portions of course, but usually, one thing leads to another.... I'm worried that I am getting too caught up in temtation.

I started eating better 2 months ago, and for the first month or so, I was really good. And the first 6 weeks or so I lost 16-19 lbs (scale fluctuation), which I think is very good. I was, and still am maintaining right about 1500 calories a day (though lately it's been hitting the in the 1600's sometimes, once or twice in the 1700's, and then I felt the guilt). In the beginning, I was cutting carbs like crazy, eating like 15% carbs a day. That wasn't really for me, becuase I like bread and things like that. So, I began to incorporate carbs back into my diet, ones like wheat bread and pasta, brown rice, and crackers like triscuits and wheat thins etc.... Well, in the last few weeks, I seem to be at a plateau, stuck at this 16-19 lb. lost mark, and I cannot seem to make it move down. I am still maintaining my calories 1500-1700 a day, maybe not as well as in the first month (I need to get that back on track), but I find myself wanting to snack alot. I eat like sunchips or wheat thins, yougurt and peanuts (1 or maybe 2 servings), instead of the fruit I was snacking on before. Then I feel the guilt, and I feel like this snacking is what is causing this plateau.

Should I once again remove the majority of the carbs from my diet? I've read that whole wheat snacks don't make you gain weight. Do you think this what is messing me up? This is really getting me down, and I maybe need some help getting back up.

If the scale doesn't move soon, I'm afraid I will say "to **** with it" and grab a bag of Doritos or eat a whole cheesecake or something.... I don't want to do that....

I think you're just having a stalled moment, most likely. I personally feel that balance is better - I don't prefer cutting carbs too heavily, but I'm really an advocate of whole wheat carbs. They're much better for you.

I'm not finding a *lot* wrong in your eating habits. Yogurt, peanuts, wheat thins, even sun chips (I think) aren't *too* bad as far as that goes. Imagine, you could be eating hohos, or twinkies, or...Snickers bars. Whatever it is people snack on when they're not eating healthy. So put it in a little bit of perspective, that's not that bad. 1500-1700 cal/day is a very good range. I don't like to go much below 1400 myself.

So I don't think the eating is the problem for you. You don't mention what you're doing for exercise. If you're not exercising, I'd suggest starting. Something simple like walking is great to begin with. Light weight training helps build and tone muscle, which in turn helps up your metabolism and burn more calories overall.

Honestly, maybe the best policy is just patience for now. Start being really strict with yourself again food-wise, perhaps add in a little bit of exercise. As anyone can tell you, weight-loss is not always a steady process.

A possible thing to try, if you don't want to just be patient, could be zig-zagging your calories. One day keep yourself to 1400, the next 1550, then 1500, 1600, 1500, 1700, etc. Keeps your body guessing. Some people swear by it.

__________________

GOALMini-Goal: Under 180 by Imbolc!C25k - one per run!
Week 1: Week 2:

I've been walking at least 30 minutes a day, at least a mile, sometimes more in the late afternoon. I also wait tables all morning long for a living, in a high paced, high turnover restaurant. I run around in circles anywhere from 6-8 hours a day. It is a start and stop, carry out, start and stop again, carry out, and since I am short, I often have to step up on the bottom shelf of the passbar in order to reach my food in the window. It's not a never-stop type excercise, but it's got to count for something.

As for zig-zagging, I do pretty much zig-zag, it's kinda hard to hit the same number every day, unless you are one of these that eats the same thing, day in and day out. I cannot do that, I like variety.

I do, however, eat ALOT of boneless skinless chicken, either breast or thigh. I eat at least one serving of some kind of chicken every day, since I don't really like fish, and beef and pork are too rich in fat and calories. I only eat these once in a while, not every day. Turkey is OK, but I'm not thrilled about turkey burger. I did try to make myself like it.. Seafood is too expensive to eat daily. So, that leaves chicken, which is mainly what I eat most of... I need to start eating more veggies and fruit, and less snack foods and carbs...

Although your food choices are not that bad--and from what you say, you are still paying attention to serving sizes--it sounds like you are starting to let the plan slip. I'd say you need to get strictly on your plan, not allow those "alternative" snacks so much.

I've never heard that whole wheat doesn't make you gain weight, and I don't believe it for a minute.

Carbs are difficult for a lot of folks. I believe in restricting carbs, but not really drastically. I'd say as a temporary measure, keep your total carbs at 90-100 gms or about 24-30%. I think 15% is too low. Do that for a couple of weeks and see what happens.

Sounds like your calorie total is slowly creeping upward as well. Got to get that back in hand. Try getting all those tempting foods out of the house for a couple of weeks--if they aren't there, you can't eat them so easily.

You can eat beef or pork now and then--you just have to restrict the amounts. 3 or 4 ounces of beef or pork has more calories than chicken, but contains different proteins and nutrients. Variety is a good thing.

I, too, have found that a little here, a little there DOES add up and will cause me to plateau. Also, although I don't want to go low-carb because I just feel better eating at least 60-80 carbs a day, I AM trying to make all the carbs I eat be as high-fiber as I can. I recently discovered a new cereal. It's called Fiber One Raisin Bran Clusters. It has 11 grams of fiber and just 220 calories for a whole cup of it with 1/2 cup skim milk. I think that it has a wonderful taste and is MUCH better tasting than the regular Fiber One cereal. (Sorry, Robin! Fiber One Original tastes to me like my cat's food SMELLS! Can't do it! Also the strands remind me of the guinea pig food we used to feed the classroom pet. Sorry!)

This week I have changed a few things just to see if I could get my body losing weight again. My body just LOVES to stay a certain weight for several weeks or more no matter what I seem to do! Anyway, I started eating protein (eggs and some meat) and my 1/2 cup of OJ and my vitamins for breakfast instead of the usual higher carb oatmeal, fruit, and yogurt I had been eating there for awhile. I have been having my cereal in the evening around 8:00PM. I also added an additional workout session.

FINALLY my body gave up FOUR POUNDS after several weeks of no loss at all!

Maybe if you changed a few things like watching the little snitches of things and tried to get the most fiber for your carbs, you might see some progress. I know those things seemed to help me! Oh, and even whole wheat foods WILL put on weight because of the calories in them! The whole wheat is a more complex carb, though, and doesn't make a sugar spike as bad as a simple carb (less fiber).

Hey, Cajungal, just FYI, lean cuts of pork are about equal to chicken in fat. I'm not saying to go for the baby back ribs, but pork tenderloin is delicious, and very low in fat, so you don't have to stick with chicken to the point of terminal boredom...

Heather, I apologise that I don't know you better because my advice might not apply. But when I'm home all day, grazing works for me. The food has to be on-plan and I enter it in fitday immediately. The only substantial meal I have is supper, if there is someone here to share it with.

Quite by accident, yesterday, this turned out very well for me. Nice low cals and great percentages. You can peek at my fitday if you'd like.

I (I am not sure you are the same -but I would give it a shot), have MUCH more luck with my appetite if I make my snacks mostly protein (boiled eggs, Laughing cow Lite cheese spread on Ryvita, light moz string cheese, handful of almonds, etc).. I also eat protein (Canadian bacon and scrambled eggbeaters with LOTS of veggies scrambled in) for breakfast when I find myself wanting to munch too much.. I am not totally Low Carb anymore.. I do eat brown rice, and Whole wheat bread and fruit... but when I find myself wanting to much, I check myself and watch the carbs.

MANY people (I think I have read it's like 70%) that are overweight are insulin resistant and I KNOW I am...

It is getting easier the more weight I lose.. and you are much further along than I am.. but why not give it a shot?
good luck..
you'll figure it out..
Cary

__________________
A Wooo Hoo Smiley for Each (5) Pounds Gone!

“Before I was 40 I wondered what people thought about me, now I wonder what I think about them.”
Eleanor Roosevelt

I've also never heard that whole wheat doesn't make you gain weight. If it has calories I'd have to venture to say that it surely can make you gain weight.

It sounds to me like you just need to tighten your belt again and get back to your plan, your roots and start from the beginning. You were successful then, you can be successful again. I am also a very big nibbler. I actually allot myself about 200 calories worth a day to do this. Whether it be a few grapes, a couple of pistachio nuts, a handful of Fiber One cereal, a few slices of cucumber, some baby carrots or whatever. It's usually all of it. But it's okay, I've made room for it. Budgeting this into my calorie allotment is a huge help for me. I would rather eat a little bit less for dinner and be able to do this with no reprercussions. But crackers and chips have a way of adding up - quickly. As does the pasta and bread.

You might want to consider adding a little more exercise as well. Try stretching your 30 minute walk into 40. I know for me I have to keep on increasing my exercise as I weigh less, because I burn less calories just doing ordinary everyday things.

OMG!! This is really starting to get me down. I feel like I was doing really good and then blam! My numbers are going too high. I didn't really have much snacks today, and I was really doing good until dinner. I was so hungry and I know I overate. I haven't gained any weight back, just platteauing... but still, I need to get my numbers back down. It's like, I may think I'm doing ok until I start adding things up. I feel like I am hanging off of the side of the wagon... Starting tomorrow, no more rice, no more bread, no more crackers, etc.....

What really messes me up more than anything is my cravings for milk... I can guzzle milk, and I try to control my urges to do just that. But I refuse to stop drinking milk, I just need to drink it in smaller amounts. Today I drank 2 cups of milk. If not for that, I probably would have come very close to my daily goal. I don't like skim milk (yuk), I can tolerate 1%, but I prefer 2% above all. There is not much difference between 1% and 2% in nutritional value, calories and fat, so why not have the one I like?

Anyway, I think I will put the snack foods away, or put them in the pantry where the everyone can eat them up and get rid of them faster.... I don't want to throw them away, after all, I bought them, and I don't like to waste.

Can you track your foods throughout the day? That might help avoid the big surprise when you add them up.

I used to like 2% milk better--but one day the store was out, so I bought 1% instead, and now I drink 1% all the time. It tastes fine to me now. But like you, I don't like skim. Do you take a calcium/magnesium supplement, or a multivitamin that contains them? That might help with the milk cravings.

Baby carrots are an excellent snack food. Low in calories, so if you want to eat a dozen of them you can, and they provide fiber and vitamins.

I know you don't like to waste food, but snack foods that tempt you are better thrown out if they keep calling your name.

Do you have to have milk in the house? If not.. stop buying it.. if you do.. just MAKE yourself use the skim.. I HATED it when I first bought it.. I went through the exact same thing..but I SWARE now It is not bad.. I too love milk.. I drink an 8oz serving with my cappuccino in the morning.. I promise you will get to where it will taste ok.. takes a while but these things are the changes that will make all the difference.. you now know you love to drink milk and it is a problem..
so what are you going to do about it?

__________________
A Wooo Hoo Smiley for Each (5) Pounds Gone!

“Before I was 40 I wondered what people thought about me, now I wonder what I think about them.”
Eleanor Roosevelt

Based on my current weight loss, I'm certainly no expert, and so many of you have already accomplished so much! I'm in awe, and that's the truth.

I DO have many, many years of *dieting* under my belt - keeping my weight under control has ALWAYS, ALWAYS been a problem for me. I started out slim as a toothpick, gained only fifteen pounds with my first pregnancy, and lost the weight within a couple of week's of my daughter's birth. But, I ultimately had four children - spaced a little erratically: the first two are two years apart, the third was seven years later, and my last child was four years after that. With each pregnancy, I gained a little more and lost a little less until after my last child, I was about fifty pounds overweight, and miserable.
I went on the Atkins plan and lost it all in about three months and maintained that loss for seven years - until I gave in and ate a hot fudge sundae which led to a marathon binge. About ten years ago, I got divorced, I was walking about five miles a day and back to eating low/no carbs, took off all the weight yet AGAIN, remarried five years ago, and slowwwly gained my weight back AGAIN!!!! Grrrrrrrrr!!!!! I can truly tell you that I understand the frustration that many of you feel from time to time.

I have found that I can't DO the low/no carb thing anymore. I used to eat POUNDS of bacon, sausage, eggs, prime ribs, steaks, great big cheeseburgers, etc., but NOW I don't seem to tolerate red meat like I used to. And I DO love bread, pasta, potatoes, etc. What seems to be working for me now is low cal/low fat/very high fiber and drinking TONS of water every day. And exercise, although I've never been particularly athletic, and walking was about the most strenuous thing I've managed. I find that Fiber One cereal every morning with skim milk and a banana cut up in it - or a handful of strawberries or some frozen blueberries - keeps me satisfied until lunch time. I WAS allowing myself a snack at first, but haven't felt any need for one. I've found some great high-fiber low-calorie whole wheat pita bread that works great for lunches - lots of lettuce mix and three thin slices of deli ham or turkey, a little light Miracle Whip. Supper is usually something like a baked chicken breast (I season it heavily with seasoning salt), a small baked sweet potato and a green vegetable - broccolli, green beans, spinach - something like that. If I'm feeling like a snack before bedtime, I pop myself a bag of Smart Pop popcorn - 15 calories per cup - and can eat the whole bag if I'm feeling the need, for less than 100 calories.

I don't think I'm eating much beyond 1300 or maybe 1400 calories a day, tops - and some days, I would say it's less - maybe 1200. But, my job is sedentery - at a desk all day, or sitting in meetings - and I'm not out there playing tennis or working up a sweat after work, either. So, I think that's enough for me.

The thing is, despite SOME rules of thumb, so to speak, with regard to healthy eating, our bodies are all different, and what works well for one, may not work for someone else. BUT, sharing our various methods is, I think, a CRITICAL part of finding out and figuring out what's going to work for our own bodies and weight loss goals. There's also this little *click* that goes off in (my) head when I've just had enough of my fat self and am ready to commit to getting the weight off - WHATEVER it takes. Is anybody familiar with that???

Have a happy and healthy day, all!!!

Ella

__________________
"Be the kind of woman that when your feet hit the ground each morning the devil says, 'OH CRAP, SHE'S UP!'"